1996 NCAA Division III football season
Regular seasonAugust – November 1996
PlayoffsNovember – December 1996
Salem Football Stadium
Salem, VA
ChampionMount Union (2)
Gagliardi TrophyLon Erickson (QB), Illinois Wesleyan
← 1995 · NCAA Division III football seasons · 1997 →

The 1996 NCAA Division III football season, part of the college football season organized by the NCAA at the Division III level in the United States, began in August 1996, and concluded with the NCAA Division III Football Championship, also known as the Stagg Bowl, in December 1996 at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia. The Mount Union Purple Raiders won their second Division III championship by defeating the Rowan Profs, 56−24. The Gagliardi Trophy, given to the most outstanding player in Division III football, was awarded to Lon Erickson, quarterback from Illinois Wesleyan.[1]

Conference and program changes

Conference changes

School 1995 Conference 1996 Conference
Austin College TIAA American Southwest
Hardin–Simmons TIAA American Southwest
Howard Payne TIAA American Southwest
McMurry TIAA American Southwest
Mississippi College Independent American Southwest
Sul Ross TIAA American Southwest
Thomas More AMC Independent

Program changes

Conference standings

1996 Centennial Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Ursinus $^   7 – 0     9 – 2  
Franklin & Marshall   6 – 1     9 – 2  
Johns Hopkins   5 – 2     7 – 3  
Dickinson   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Western Maryland   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Gettysburg   3 – 4     3 – 7  
Muhlenberg   1 – 6     1 – 9  
Swarthmore   0 – 7     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Illinois Wesleyan $^   7 – 0     10 – 1  
Wheaton (IL)   6 – 1     8 – 1  
Augustana (IL)   4 – 3     5 – 4  
North Central (IL)   4 – 3     5 – 4  
Millikin   3 – 4     3 – 6  
Carthage   3 – 4     3 – 6  
Elmhurst   1 – 6     2 – 7  
North Park   0 – 7     0 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Eastern Collegiate Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Salve Regina $   8 – 0     9 – 0  
Bentley   7 – 1     7 – 3  
Stonehill   7 – 2     8 – 2  
Sacred Heart   4 – 3     4 – 6  
Merrimack   5 – 4     5 – 4  
UMass Lowell   4 – 4     6 – 4  
MIT   3 – 5     4 – 5  
Nichols   2 – 5     2 – 8  
Western New England   2 – 6     2 – 7  
Curry   1 – 7     3 – 7  
Assumption   1 – 8     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Freedom Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Coast Guard +^   5 – 1     8 – 3  
Springfield (MA) +   5 – 1     6 – 4  
Merchant Marine   4 – 2     6 – 3  
Western Connecticut   3 – 3     6 – 4  
Plymouth State   3 – 3     5 – 4  
Norwich   1 – 5     2 – 8  
WPI   0 – 6     2 – 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Illini–Badger Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Lakeland $   5 – 0     8 – 2  
Concordia (WI)   4 – 1     5 – 4  
MacMurray   3 – 2     7 – 3  
Eureka   2 – 3     5 – 4  
Greenville   1 – 4     2 – 7  
Concordia (IL)   0 – 5     1 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
1997 Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
DePauw $   6 – 0     9 – 1  
Wabash   4 – 2     7 – 3  
Anderson (IN)   3 – 3     7 – 3  
Hanover   3 – 3     6 – 4  
Rose–Hulman   3 – 3     3 – 7  
Manchester   2 – 4     4 – 6  
Franklin (IN)   0 – 6     3 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Iowa Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Simpson $^   8 – 0     10 – 1  
Central (IA)   7 – 1     7 – 3  
Loras   5 – 3     7 – 3  
Wartburg   5 – 3     7 – 3  
Buena Vista   4 – 4     5 – 5  
Upper Iowa   3 – 5     3 – 7  
Luther   2 – 6     3 – 7  
William Penn *   2 – 6     1 – 9  
Dubuque   0 – 8     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
  • * – William Penn was awarded a conference forfeit win over Buena Vista, but the NCAA did not award an overall win.
1996 Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Albion $^   5 – 0     9 – 1  
Hope   3 – 2     4 – 5  
Alma   2 – 3     4 – 5  
Kalamazoo   2 – 3     3 – 6  
Olivet   2 – 3     2 – 7  
Adrian   1 – 4     3 – 6  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Middle Atlantic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Commonwealth
Albright x^   5 – 0     10 – 2  
Widener   4 – 1     7 – 3  
Susquehanna   3 – 2     5 – 5  
Moravian   2 – 3     6 – 4  
Juniata   1 – 4     5 – 5  
Lebanon Valley   0 – 5     1 – 9  
Freedom
Lycoming x^   4 – 0     11 – 1  
Wilkes   3 – 1     8 – 3  
Fairleigh Dickinson–Florham   1 – 3     2 – 8  
King's (PA)   1 – 3     2 – 8  
Delaware Valley   1 – 3     1 – 8  
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Midwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
North Division
Ripon xy$   5 – 0     9 – 1  
St. Norbert   4 – 1     5 – 4  
Carroll (WI)   3 – 2     6 – 3  
Lake Forest   2 – 3     2 – 7  
Lawrence   1 – 4     2 – 7  
Beloit   0 – 5     0 – 9  
South Division
Cornell (IA) xy   4 – 1     8 – 2  
Coe   4 – 1     6 – 3  
Knox   3 – 2     6 – 3  
Grinnell   2 – 3     4 – 5  
Illinois College   1 – 4     3 – 6  
Monmouth (IL)   0 – 5     2 – 7  
Championship: Ripon 26, Cornell (IA) 8
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
1996 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Saint John's (MN) $^ 9 – 0 – 0 11 – 1 – 0
Bethel (MN) 8 – 1 – 0 9 – 1 – 0
St. Thomas (MN) 7 – 2 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Concordia–Moorhead 6 – 3 – 0 6 – 4 – 0
Carleton 4 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Hamline 4 – 5 – 0 5 – 5 – 0
Augsburg 2 – 7 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Macalester 2 – 7 – 0 3 – 7 – 0
Gustavus Adolphus 2 – 7 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
St. Olaf 1 – 8 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 New England Football Conference standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Worcester State $   8 – 0     10 – 1  
UMass Dartmouth   7 – 1     8 – 2  
Massachusetts Maritime   5 – 3     6 – 4  
Maine Maritime   5 – 3     5 – 5  
Bridgewater State   4 – 4     5 – 5  
Westfield State   4 – 4     4 – 6  
UMass–Boston   2 – 6     2 – 7  
Framingham State   1 – 7     1 – 8  
Fitchburg State   0 – 8     0 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 New England Small College Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Amherst   7 – 1     7 – 1  
Trinity (CT)   7 – 1     7 – 1  
Williams   6 – 2     6 – 2  
Hamilton   5 – 3     5 – 3  
Middlebury   5 – 3     5 – 3  
Bowdoin   3 – 5     3 – 5  
Colby   3 – 5     3 – 5  
Wesleyan   3 – 5     3 – 5  
Tufts   1 – 7     1 – 7  
Bates   0 – 8     0 – 8  
  • No conference champion recognized
1996 New Jersey Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
TCNJ $^   5 – 0     8 – 3  
Rowan ^   4 – 1     10 – 3  
Jersey City State   3 – 2     5 – 5  
Montclair State   2 – 3     4 – 6  
Kean   1 – 4     2 – 7  
William Paterson   0 – 5     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 North Coast Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Allegheny $^   8 – 0     10 – 1  
Wittenberg   7 – 1     9 – 1  
Wooster   6 – 2     7 – 3  
Denison   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Ohio Wesleyan   3 – 4     4 – 6  
Kenyon   3 – 5     4 – 6  
Case Western Reserve   2 – 4     5 – 5  
Earlham   2 – 6     3 – 7  
Oberlin   0 – 8     0 – 10  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Northwest Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 7 Willamette $^   5 – 0     9 – 2  
No. 15 Pacific Lutheran ^   4 – 1     7 – 3  
Linfield   3 – 2     5 – 4  
Lewis & Clark   2 – 3     4 – 6  
Whitworth   1 – 4     1 – 8  
Puget Sound   0 – 5     0 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NAIA Division II playoff participant
Rankings from NAIA Division II poll
1996 Ohio Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Mount Union $^   9 – 0     14 – 0  
John Carroll   8 – 1     9 – 1  
Marietta   6 – 3     7 – 3  
Ohio Northern   6 – 3     7 – 3  
Baldwin–Wallace   6 – 3     6 – 4  
Muskingum   4 – 5     5 – 5  
Heidelberg   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Hiram   2 – 7     3 – 7  
Otterbein   2 – 7     2 – 8  
Capital   0 – 9     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Old Dominion Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Emory & Henry $   4 – 1     8 – 2  
Randolph–Macon   3 – 2     7 – 3  
Bridgewater   3 – 2     5 – 5  
Washington and Lee   2 – 3     5 – 5  
Guilford   2 – 3     3 – 6  
Hampden–Sydney   1 – 4     3 – 7  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Presidents' Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
Washington & Jefferson $^ 5 – 0 – 0 8 – 2 – 0
Alfred 4 – 1 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Bethany (WV) 3 – 2 – 0 4 – 6 – 0
Waynesburg 2 – 3 – 0 2 – 7 – 0
Grove City 1 – 4 – 0 2 – 8 – 0
Thiel 0 – 5 – 0 1 – 9 – 0
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Redlands $   5 – 0     6 – 3  
La Verne   4 – 1     7 – 2  
Cal Lutheran   2 – 3     3 – 6  
Claremont-Mudd   2 – 3     2 – 7  
Occidental   1 – 4     1 – 8  
Whittier   1 – 4     1 – 8  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Trinity (TX) +   3 – 1     9 – 1  
Millsaps +   3 – 1     8 – 2  
Sewanee   2 – 2     4 – 4  
Centre   1 – 3     5 – 5  
Rhodes   1 – 3     3 – 7  
  • + – Conference co-champions
1996 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
MacMurray +   3 – 1     7 – 3  
Westminster (MO) +   3 – 1     5 – 4  
Blackburn +   3 – 1     3 – 6  
Greenville   1 – 3     2 – 7  
Principia   0 – 4     0 – 8  
  • + – Conference co-champions
1996 Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Union (NY) $   4 – 0     9 – 1  
Hobart   3 – 1     5 – 5  
RPI   2 – 2     5 – 4  
St. Lawrence   1 – 3     2 – 7  
Rochester (NY)   0 – 4     0 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
1996 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Wisconsin–La Crosse $^   7 – 0     11 – 2  
Wisconsin–River Falls ^   6 – 1     9 – 2  
Wisconsin–Whitewater   5 – 2     8 – 2  
Wisconsin–Stevens Point   4 – 3     6 – 3  
Wisconsin–Eau Claire   3 – 4     5 – 5  
Wisconsin–Oshkosh   2 – 5     4 – 6  
Wisconsin–Stout   1 – 6     4 – 6  
Wisconsin–Platteville   0 – 7     1 – 9  
  • $ – Conference champion
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant
1996 NCAA Division III independents football records
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
Frostburg State   –     9 – 2  
Buffalo State ^   –     8 – 2  
Catholic University   –     7 – 2  
Chapman   –     7 – 2  
Wesley   –     7 – 2  
Pomona-Pitzer   –     6 – 2  
Ithaca   –     6 – 3  
Brockport   –     6 – 4  
Cortland   –     6 – 4  
Hartwick   –     6 – 4  
Methodist   –     6 – 4  
Thomas More   –     6 – 4  
Aurora   –     5 – 4  
Menlo   –     5 – 4  
Wilmington (OH)   –     5 – 5  
Salisbury State   –     4 – 5  
Colorado College   –     3 – 6  
Defiance   –     3 – 6  
Maryville (TN)   –     3 – 6  
Chowan   –     3 – 7  
Bluffton   –     2 – 8  
Ferrum   –     1 – 8  
  • ^ – NCAA Division III playoff participant

Conference champions

Conference champions

Postseason

The 1996 NCAA Division III Football Championship playoffs were the 24th annual single-elimination tournament to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division III college football. The championship Stagg Bowl game was held at Salem Football Stadium in Salem, Virginia for the second time. As of 2014, Salem has remained the yearly host of the Stagg Bowl. Like the previous eleven tournaments, this year's bracket featured sixteen teams.[2]

Playoff bracket

Regionals
Campus Sites 		Quarterfinals
Campus Sites 		Semifinals
Campus Sites 		National Championship Game
Salem Football Stadium
Salem, Virginia
            
Mount Union 31
Allegheny 26
Mount Union 49
Illinois Wesleyan 14
Illinois Wesleyan 23
Albion 20
Mount Union 39
Wisconsin–La Crosse 21
Wisconsin–La Crosse 44
Wisconsin–River Falls 0
Wisconsin–La Crosse 37
Saint John's (MN) 30
Saint John's (MN) 21
Simpson 18
Mount Union 56
Rowan 24
Lycoming 31
Ursinus 24
Lycoming 31
Albright 13
Albright 31
Washington & Jefferson 17
Lycoming 14
Rowan 33
Rowan 21
Buffalo State 20
Rowan 7
TCNJ 3
TCNJ 17
Coast Guard 16

See also

References

  1. ^ "All-Time Division III Football Championship Records" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. pp. 4–15. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
  2. ^ "1996 NCAA Division III National Football Championship Bracket" (PDF). NCAA. NCAA.org. p. 14. Retrieved November 26, 2014.
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